


Aerith Month 2018

by sanctum_c



Series: Aerith Appreciation [2]
Category: Final Fantasy VII
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Gen, Originally Posted on Tumblr, Prompt Fic, Rating Might Change, Tumblr Prompt, pairings will change
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-16
Updated: 2019-02-17
Packaged: 2019-04-23 20:51:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 18,262
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14340672
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sanctum_c/pseuds/sanctum_c
Summary: Prompt fills for Aerith Month on tumblr.Latest: Mako Infusion- Aeris makes a new friend while undergoing Mako infusion.





	1. Nightly Routine

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for the prompt 'Spunky Flower Girl'. This is set in an AU courtesy of raaj who suggested a scenario where Aerith was less skilled with healing and more with fire magic... Other bits and pieces for this AU will crop up in other prompt fills.

The song was immediately catchy; it boasted an infectious beat and a throaty singer. The sound hooked Aeris; she moved to the beat, dancing from the bare wooden boards to the dry packed mud in the centre of the church. A decidely different sound to her normal musical accompaniment, but worth considering for future performances. Assuming she caught the title. Or at least who sang it. The props could remain where they lay for now; more important to get a sense of the rhythm and the beat if she was seriously intending to use the song.

The next line was too close to home and her dance faltered. Not only was her personal implication jarringly familiar, but that movement- The last time she had danced like that had been a good five years previous, and for a specific audience of one. The memory of that occasion made her heart lurch, but the lyrics continued, ignorant of their complicity. Maybe not such a good choice of song - not if it provoked that kind of reaction in her. She could switch the radio off right now. But the song – whatever it was – did not seem to be a love song and for now she would let it continue. Move on it seemed to say - and the focus of the lyrics shifted. Despite, or perhaps because of, the personally awkward wording, it could almost have been about her. Curious but improbable.

Aeris span around, the music growing more frantic; her movement was slow enough to not leaver her dizzy, but still fast enough to blur the church around her. The music hit an abrupt lull when the next verse began; she ended her spin facing the radio. The tiny LED clock indicated it was almost nine. Time she got moving. Aeris murmured along to the lyrics and picked up the scattered props; her still not quite right line of candles, her staff, her poi. Was the song already repeating itself in the verse? Certainly it was not a complicated song. Still effective enough to dance to. Aeris sashayed to the pew where her long pink dress lay. Demure at a quick glance, but anyone taking a longer look would note the garment was less innocent than might be initially assumed; the neckline was pretty low and she never did button it up fully.

She tied her hair back and retied the ribbon loosely over the top. Another pang of memory, but this one different, older and much harder to forget. Her old green ribbon, thread-bare past the point of usability. Safe at home. Another shake of her head. Focus. Last check for anything she might have left behind. Nope; nothing in the church but empty pews, a patch of muddy floor and decades of dust. Aeris headed for the door.

The thin slivers of sky visible between the plates were darkening fast and the tinny noise of the radio seemed overly loud out here in the open; every other sound in Sector Five was somehow subdued and distant. Brief pause to turn the radio down; still loud enough to be audible, but not enough to eclipse the sound of an enemy – either monstrous or human. Hopefully she would avoid attracting any attention for now. The music faded out; the song had ended. Aeris wrenched the volume up and winced at the resulting blast of noise. Too late; she had missed the announcer’s comment about the song and now the radio was far too loud. She swore and clicked the device off. Maybe she would hear the song another time.

Aeris was not late yet, but the thought of the long trek back into the middle of the cluster of housing and then off towards the station and then the subsequent wait on the platform was too much to contemplate. Too much effort. And if she took the shortcut she could make the next train. She changed direction and headed for one of the myriad heaps of debris that effectively screened the station off from the rest of the sector. Aeris skirted the worst of the refuse and grabbed at ever shifting handholds while she scaled the trash heap.

The growl was only just warning enough. No good getting distracted; she needed to stay focused. The monster was almost upon her when she turned to face it. Nothing she couldn’t cope with, but if she had been even a few second slower- Aeris shook her head, putting the lyrics and associated memories out of her mind. She loosed a jet of fire towards the creature. Not hot or intense enough to kill it outright; the monster screeched plaintively and fled from her flames.

Aeris reached the station without any further incident and for a change it seemed like the universe was on her side; no guard on the station. She vaulted the turnstile in one smooth movement and maintained a brisk pace without seeming to hurry, resisting the impulse to check around her for witnesses. Seconds passed. A few more. No footsteps stomping towards her. No shouts, no protestations. She was fine. A few other travelers waited, scattered across the platform. The tinny beat of a bass line was audible from a nearby teenage girl’s headphones. Another infectious beat; Aeris tapped her foot and swayed to what little she could hear.

The girl with the headphones did not take any notice of Aeris until they were both on the train and stood opposite each other. A jolt sent the girl stumbling into Aeris; she was older than her first glance indicated, maybe a year or two younger than Aeris herself. Aeris caught the girl and gave her time to find her footing. Her blue eyes were nothing short of amazing this close. Big, round glasses, pale red hair. If she didn’t live in Midgar she’d look wonderful with freckles. Aeris grinned at her and after a moment the girl smiled back. “Sorry,” the girl mouthed and backed off to the other side of the train. Aeris grabbed for a handhold the same time the girl did; the floor tilted a moment later. The train was beginning its climb towards the upper plate.

“It’s fine,” she mouthed to the girl. The stranger's cheeks reddened; she glanced up the length of the train, looked back and met Aeris’s gaze. They both smiled at the other. Did Aeris need to work tonight? It was not like she and Mom would starve if she took one night off to see where things might go with the girl. Aeris tightened her grip on her handhold. Not the way to look at things. While today might be fine, what about tomorrow? Next week? Aeris glanced at the girl again and leant back against the wall. The girl stole glances at irregular intervals; definitely interested and it looked like she was working up the nerve to say something. Aeris was going to agree to whatever suggestion she made. If she made the first move, if she crossed the carriage, if-

The train announcer ruined the moment by announcing their arrival at the next stop. The girl jumped and looked around, the train already slowing down for the station. Not Aeris’s stop. So much for that. The girl at least flashed her a crestfallen smile and a wave that Aeris returned before she hurried alongside a handful of other passengers. Her red hair was soon lost in among the crowd and the train moved on. A missed opportunity for them both it seemed. Aeris let out a breath she did not realize she held. Maybe they would have been good together. Maybe it would have gone terribly. In any case; she seemed like she would not be avoiding work tonight.

Her stop was the end of the line; right beside the Mako reactor and across from the Shinra building. Everyone streamed off the train, Aeris crowding in among them, jostled every step of the way to the exit. Far too many rail employees around to risk dodging the fare in the same way she did in the slums. Nothing else for it. The man in front of her pressed his pass over the scanner on the turnstile. Aeris immediately pushed into him and pressed him forward, the restraining bar coming up hard against her back. He staggered, found his footing and turned to her, ready to snarl. She smiled, leaning forward a touch before he could say anything. The man stared down at her, his intended outburst dying on his lips after her murmured apology. Aeris darted around him and into the crowd; other people were swarming out of the station. Best to not get in anyone else's way - and also best to ensure the stranger could not make anything more of their brief encounter.

At least none of the guards seemed to have noticed her little stunt. Success; she was on the upper plate for free once again. Now she needed to get ready. The sky was unexpectedly clear for a change, the normal haze thinner today. For once she actually she had to shield her eyes from the sinking sun. A good omen? Tall buildings soon screened the sun from view; the streetlights flickered on and pushed the pooling shadows back. More distant stars than normal in the sky above; the night would get pretty cold at this rate. Not that it affected her; Aeris was always warm. And perhaps the cold would encourage people to linger at her performance. More chance of donations that way.

The plaza in Sector Eight held familiar sights; Shinra workers heading into or out of the towering company building; other performance artists; couples enjoying the evening. Aeris quickened her pace; if only she could out-distance that same unwanted thought now welling up from the depths of her mind. Hard to shake a desire to dwell on the past today and Shinra's relationship to it. No. No time, no distractions now. She put that out of head. Aeris made it to her usual spot; a corner to one side of the plaza, free from other performers. The radio went down on the ground, switched over from radio to tape.

Aeris arranged her staff and poi nearby, hesitated for a moment and decided against the candles – why try to pre-emptively demonstrate a part of her act that was far from perfected? Stick to the essentials today. She closed her eyes and drew in a deep breath. Ready. She clicked the tape on and tapped her foot to the beat, swaying in time with the music. The noise got immediate attention from passers-by; most only glanced at her and kept on moving. Fair; nothing too exciting for them to see yet. Unbuttoning her dress drew more overt attention. An unnecessary step, but part of the act, part of the show. Draw people in however she could then dazzle them.

She let her dress fall to the ground – it was dry enough – and began the first of her more complex moves. A scattering of watchers now. Some might think she was about to strip completely given the provocative red outfit she wore beneath the dress, but her skill lay elsewhere. A few members of her audience looked familiar; they might have seen a previous performance and made the effort to come back to see her. Gratifying if that was the case. The minority however; most would likely have never seen this before. Well; they were in for a treat.

The song hit the right lyric; Aeris hooked her foot under her staff and with a flick sent it up into the air. A moment of focus and both ends burst into flame. She caught the staff without missing a beat, twirling it around herself and the Fire Dancer began her nightly routine.


	2. The Right Look

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for the prompt 'Quotes' - in this case: _I think they believe I have what it takes to be in SOLDIER!_

Somehow the blond Turk, the first to ever apprehend Aeris, had no idea who she was. Instead of the expected outcome (her being immediately hauled back to Shinra right that second), the Turk instead went into a spiel regarding all the benefits of enrolling in the SOLDIER program. This Turk was new it seemed. Newer anyway. Shinra was always sloppy to a point, but given keeping an eye on Aeris Gainsborough seemed a major part of the Turk’s remit, to find one so thoroughly ignorant of her past was somewhat refreshing. Shame about the woman's determination that Aeris not turn down a SOLDIER recruitment opportunity.

Aeris could take care of herself and would normally be bidding a hasty retreat right about now. But she was up against a Turk, and while this Turk was ignorant of Shinra's interest in her she had at least undergone training. If nothing else she knew how to hold Aeris’s arm just so and gave her little option but to walk forward and join the eclectic group of other potential SOLDIER candidates. The Turk acknowledged that Aeris was unlikely to make the cut, but was not about to turn her loose either. They needed a quota and Aeris had been in the wrong place at the wrong time. The Turk said she would be fine and even noted Aeris was near certain to fail the preliminary exam. Once Aeris fell at that step, she would be back out the door without further comment. The Turk would have still made her quota. Hard to argue with the hypothetical situation - assuming no one else noticed who she was in the meantime. Calm. She was not caught yet.

The Turk stayed with Aeris while the queue shuffled towards the special transport train for the upper plate. “Can I ask a favor?”

“Favor?” The Turk replied behind her.

“Yeah. Let's be honest; I don’t exactly look like SOLDIER material.” Aeris kept her tone neutral, the people ahead of her stepping onto the train one at a time.

The Turk sounded amused. “You’d be surprised.” A sigh. “But I take your meaning.” There were other women in the queue, though the majority were far bulkier and muscular than Aeris. “You want to stand more of a chance or something?”

Minimise chance of detection, but- “Yes.” She tried to step forward.

“Careful,” the Turk said, pulling Aeris's other arm back until a new wave of pain pulsed into her shoulder.

“I just wanted to save my ribbon,” Aeris said with gritted teeth. “I’m not going to run.”

"Yeah, right."

"Like I could get away from you fast enough now," Aeris replied.

The Turk seemed to consider that for a moment and let go of her arm. “Alright. But first sign of funny business and-”

"I know, I know." Her arm was still sore, but better now she could move it. Running remained an option; but from a standing start, with the Turk right beside her? She was not certain enough to try. There remained a little time before she reached the head of the queue; best to do what she could. Aeris undid her ribbon and palmed the white materia. The Turk either took no notice or was beyond caring about what her ribbon kept safe. “Do you have a knife?” she asked over her shoulder.

“You think I’d trust you with a blade?” the Turk scoffed.

“I haven't tried to run, have I?” Aeris shook her head. “I don't need you to give it to me. I just want to cut my hair. Fast.”

A sigh. “Kind of a shame,” the Turk said. A metal click sounded behind her and Aeris's back tensed. Calm.

“Gotta have the right look though.” In spite of everything, the notion of not having to spend so long braiding her hair each day did at least hold something of an appeal. Still a shame to lose it all. What would she look like with shorter hair?

“You want me to just cut your braid off?” The Turk's hands moved her braid up and away from her neck. Aeris nodded, the movement hampered by the Turk's grip. "Sure?" Aeris nodded again. The Turk pressed something against her hair. There was a tug and the whispering noise of metal cutting- Severed tips of curled hair brushed across her cheeks and neck, the unnoticed weight of her hair suddenly tangible by merit of its absence from the back of her head. “You’ll need to get it neatened up by someone who knows what they’re doing.”

Aeris ran a tentative hand through her shortened hair, fingers moving easily through what remained. So strange to find it ending so close to her head. “Can you cut any more off?” How recognizable was Aeris with shorter hair versus Aeris with a braid?

“Sure but-“ The Turk muttered something. “This is going to look messy.”

“It’s fine.” The scruffier the better. A lot closer to the train now. A steady stream of hair tumbled down her body as the Turk pulled at the remaining strands and slid the knife through each handful. Her clothes would need a thorough cleaning at this rate. Her clothes! Aeris cursed. The pink dress was far too recognisable. Unless- She slipped the jacket from her shoulders, stepped forward and pulled her dress over her head.

“Hey, woah.” The Turk grabbed her and whirled her around until they were face to face. “What are you doing?”

“The right look,” Aeris said still moving in a hurry, not wild about standing in the street in nothing but her underwear. She buttoned the dress all the way to the bottom and pushed the bodice down into the skirt. Slipping the garment back over her head, she wadded some of the extra fabric around her waist to minimise the chance of it slipping off. A shorter and somewhat odd looking skirt, but she was lacking in both time and resources. Aeris slipped the jacket back on and buttoned it half-way up. Exposed mid-riff, re-purposed dress, short hair and jacket that drew more attention to her chest. Not fully removed from her regular appearance but maybe enough to avoid a second glance from anyone able to expose her identity.

“Not sure if this is the right look,” the Turk said in an amused tone, her hand on her hip. She broke into a grin and shook her head.

“It’ll have to do,” Aeris murmured, hands again fussing with the remnants of hair. The shortened strands tickled her ears. Maybe the Turk could cut away a bit more? Maybe not; there were only a few people in the line ahead now. All too soon she would find out if her disguise was sufficient. “Hey, what’s your name?”

A pause from the Turk. Almost long enough for Aeris to withdraw her question. “Elena,” the Turk replied at last .

“Elena,” Aeris echoed. Two more people between her and the train. “I’m-“ There were other Aeris’s in the slums. A few Eris’s and one or two Aerith’s. Her name was not that distinct, but it would still be best to avoid any chances; who knew what might happen if she said her real name at this juncture? “-Rinoa.” If Elena was suspicious of her pause, she gave no indication. Aeris reached the front of the queue and shot one final glance back at the Turk. "Guess this is me."

Elena smiled at her. “Hey. Good luck Rinoa.”

Aeris managed a smile in reply. “Thanks.”


	3. Jumping to Conclusions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for the prompt 'Silk Hiding Steel'

Long-term survival in Midgar depended on a few specific factors of which location was probably the single most important. Always safer on the Upper Plate; best place for anyone wanting a shot at a longer life. The slums varied wildly in terms of personal security. Sector Seven felt safe enough; at least Tifa never felt the need to look over her shoulder there. Unlike, say, Sector Six. Sector Five was reportedly also a pretty safe district, but that part of Midgar tended to inspire some odd rumors. Houses that moved and might be capable of eating people for one extreme example. Hard to give that any credence, but with a city of this scale and with official reports of monsters managing to enter the city in the night-time, and the strangeness of documented monster types in the area, near anything seemed possible.

Tifa shook her head. While there were safe places down here, those living in the slums rarely had the luxury of spending all their time in one of the few pockets of safety. Most worked in the other, more dangerous sectors or took the long train ride to the Upper Plate for better paying employment. Not that the increased wages helped given the cost of train passes, and even then at the end of the day workers still had to come back down to the slums.

The woman in the pink dress ahead seemed to be one such example. She stepped off one of the last trains while Tifa was making her way home. That should have been the end of it; a flash of pink in the distance, the figure of a woman making her way deeper into the city, and Tifa minding her own business. She needed to get back to the Seventh Heaven for another Avalanche meeting. If all continued to plan, soon they would be able to act.

But even though she had come around to the concept of destroying Mako reactors violently (come around to was misleading. Her anger had not quelled from that agonising moment on Mount Nibel. Sephiroth might be mysteriously no more, but those that let him roam the world unchecked remained in power), she had no stomach for any kind of senseless loss of life. There were a lot of bystanders in this city; the people who wanted nothing more than to survive another day. Who could blame them for giving into the lure of the bright lights and Shinra's endless propaganda? There were opportunities here – or at least that was what the people outside the city believed. By the time the truth was clear there was little choice for anyone but to remain.

The woman in pink looked far too innocent to be wandering into Sector Six without a care in the world. Was she lost? Tifa quickened her pace to keep the girl in sight and moved away from Sector Seven. Nothing around too dangerous here, but then again; the benefits of Sector Seven and close proximity to it. The woman vanished around a turn in the road and Tifa hurried to keep up.

The pink really did seem to signal naivety on the woman's part. And thus it seemed impossible she could live down here - despite the late hour. Was she some Upper Plate house-wife with too much time on her hands? Come to ply her trade down in the slums or cheat on a spouse or- Sell flowers? Tifa squinted. The woman had a wicker basket over one arm, a selection of flowers peeking out over the rim. Whatever her story, the woman definitely had time to spare to be selling those. Something caught the woman's attention and she glanced to one side. Closer to Tifa's age than expected.

She could still easily be someone's wife. Or was perhaps some rich-guy’s daughter. Incredible decisions on her part all the same; to come and hawk flowers down here in the slums. The girl was probably selling them for fifty gil a flower or something ridiculous. Maybe she was the type who somehow thought she could actually change Midgar by coming down here and selling flowers. Did she think she could cheer up the slums with them? Oh, never mind the massive wealth disparity between those above and those below. Oh no. Here, these flowers will do in place of any kind of change to the system. By the way that will be one hundred gil. Yes, you can get them on credit good sir, but be aware there will be interest applied-

Curious. The girl was not defenseless. Whether that staff was for show or she knew how to use it was debatable. Okay; the daughter hypothesis seemed plausible. Probably the eldest of three sisters - the one with good intentions. From some Upper Plate family who were not ignorant of what it was like down here - and she was doing what she felt she could. Heart in the right place, but her intrusion still rankled. The girl moved deeper into Sector Six with more intent than Tifa would expect from a casual visitor. She had done this before perhaps. Or else had sufficient information of her intended route. Tifa was close enough to get to her in case anything made a move-

A pack of Blood Taste cleared a pile of junk and caught sight of the girl. Tifa cursed and hurried forward; the girl stopped dead. What was she doing? Instead of running, the girl carefully placed her basket beside her feet and hefted her staff in both hands. Now this was a surprise. The Blood Tastes growled and stalked forward, the leader staring the girl down while its companions moved to flank her. Maybe the girl did know how to take care of herself. Doubtful she could cope with so many opponents-

With a blur of speed the girl whipped her staff around to knock away the Blood Taste behind her. Without pausing, she blocked an attack from one of its opportunistic companions. The remaining creatures screeched and swiped at her with razor-sharp claws. The girl did not panic, did not make any clumsy moves out of fear. Instead she shifted smoothly from stance to stance and fended off the Blood Tastes. Her footwork was nothing short of excellent.

After a few more futile swipes the creatures seemed to tire of their opponent, and, after the girl aimed one final blow at the nearest Blood Taste, the pack fled. The girl remained tensed and ready, only relaxing with a sigh a full minute later. She picked up her basket and continued on her way as if nothing had happened. If the girl noticed Tifa during that little display, she gave no indication; no glances over her shoulder or changes to her pace. Tifa followed, less concerned about the girl's safety and more curious about who she was. Where was she going? And how had she learned to defend herself like that?

The girl suffered through a few more minor skirmishes before she reached Sector Five. Again she moved on a direct line to her destination; no meandering or struggling to find her way. She went straight to a small cottage with a massive garden, the whole area hidden from the rest of the sector by a quirk in the landscape. Tifa stopped at the start of the flowerbeds. Flowerbeds! In Midgar of all places. This was amazing; a veritable paradise in the slums. A quaint house, a garden full of flowers; almost a fairy-tale in itself. But the girl barely took any notice of those wonders and instead pushed her way inside. Now everything made sense. All of Tifa's assumptions had been in reverse. The girl lived here. Tifa grinned, far more impressed now. Who was the girl? No time to find out right this second – not after this major detour. But at some point she needed to come back and find out all she could about the Sector Five flower girl.


	4. Working from Home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for the prompt 'Favorite Moment'. This is set sometime prior to [The Number I](https://archiveofourown.org/works/11203020) by Nautilusopus - who also suggested Liquorice Allsorts as Aeris's favorite snack.

The working day was a familiar routine. Aeris would set her alarm for seven and bat the clock to silent after a frantic scrabble to shut the thing up. A few minutes later she would wake in a panic and actually set the alarm for ten minutes’ time. After those ten minutes she would set it for another ten minutes. Then another, and another, until - with less than an optimal time remaining - she dragged herself into a sitting position. This movement tended to disrupt Cassiopeia who chose that exact moment to suddenly become more affectionate and settle onto her legs. Another delay since Cassiopeia was adamant Aeris should ruffle her fur for a few minutes. Cat fussed and nudged off her legs, Aeris was able to go downstairs.

Breakfast was toast and coffee. A quick shower after and she was out the door with her hair still wet. About an hour to get to work, four hours to lunch, another four or so until the end of the day, another hour to get back home then dinner. A short opportunity to do something (usually little beyond a catch up on recent papers and journals) then actually get to bed far too early in the morning, sleep and do the same all over again the next day.

Today was different. Today she was working from home for the first time; the realisation had taken effect in stages. Getting to bed the previous night had been even more delayed than normal (no need to be in bed early since she did not have to run for the train) - and she was a lot slower getting up the next morning. Less of a need to rush today. No need to race to the shower. Aeris lounged in bed even as the cat hinted with increasing insistence that Aeris should march downstairs and put some food in her bowl right this second. Aeris relented in the end and wandered down to the ground floor. The day felt somewhat odd. She was not late yet even now at eight-fifteen; they would expect her online by nine, though there was some lee-way with that.

Cassiopeia ravenously ate her food as Aeris idled in the kitchen. Toast as usual? If the eggs were still good she could have something more substantial for breakfast. The fridge revealed a tragic lack of bacon or sausages; their absence hampered the fledgling idea of a fry-up. Scrambled or fried eggs remained plausible though. Or- She pulled open the freezer. More time; how about pizza for breakfast. No. That was clearly madness. Wasn't it?

"People eat cold pizza for breakfast all the time," she said to Cassiopeia who gave her a look before resuming her slurping consumption of her own food. "Is there some reason why hot pizza for the same meal is somehow wrong?"

Cassiopeia declined to comment on the seeming double-standard. Aside from waiting for the frozen pizza to cook (something easily side-stepped by showering while the oven heated up or while the pizza cooked), there was no real reason why pizza for breakfast was a bad idea. Other (sensible) people might object; Mum, Dad, co-workers. But none of them were here. She sighed. Mum and Dad. A mistake to think of them again - but often hard not to given her work. Aeris pushed some bread in the toaster. Pizza next time. Or possibly she could go all out with some more exotic meals. It made sense to eat big meals at the start of the day, right? A curry might work-

Aeris shook herself. Working from home seemed to come with some unforseen and weird risks. Probably not conducive to a good work ethic. Stick to her routine - even if she had diverged off of it already. She was a full hour out of sync when she seated herself at the desk and powered her laptop on. First wireless, then VPN, then- Everything was a little slower, a little more awkward than working at the lab. Here she was stuck with a smaller keyboard and a smaller screen. The number pad was soon missed, Aeris’s fingers reaching for non-existent keys. Might be an idea to unplug the peripherals from the desktop and wire them in for something approaching the same capacity as work.

Maybe after lunch. For now; she needed to do something resembling work. Email was a good start. About an hour and a half later, her stomach gurgled. What new absurdity was this? She had only just had breakfast. But the kitchen was a short walk - closer than the vending machines or the canteen at work. Plus nothing here would cost her a penny - well, a penny more than she had already spent on shopping. But if she consumed something now that would mean she would need to buy more later and- Aeris shook her head. No. It would save money. She never remembered to keep any change with her and then had to get money from a cash point and break the note and all the loose change either wound up in a whisky box or lost in the sofa- Another gurgle from her mid-section. "Stop it," she told her stomach.

A faint hollowness now. There was no specifically good reason for not getting something else to eat. She was hungry; why avoid satisfying her cravings? Maybe if she had stuck to her routine she wouldn't be feeling hungry now. Maybe?

Cassiopeia wandered back and forth on the work surfaces yowling in some new and terrible hunger while Aeris surveyed the room; what could she snack on? If only her thoughts did not keep turning to pizza and curry. Maybe crisps? Crisps - an excellent break-time snack. An hour after starting work. Her stomach gurgled again; guilt was not working. Crisps then.

Lifting the multipack down revealed something else; a box of Liquourice Allsorts stuffed right at the back of the cupboard. How long had they been there? The sweets came under a personal heading of frivolous snack food; mostly because once she started eating them she often did not stop. An oddly advantageous snack when it came to sharing however; no one else seemed to like them for some reason. Aeris put the crisps back and opened the box. She paused at the kitchen door. No, she could not just eat all of them. Take some now to snack on and maybe have some more with lunch. And an afternoon snack. And for dessert later.

She emptied a good number of the Allsorts into a bowl and carried them back to her desk. When she felt hungry, she would take another sweet from the bowl while she responded to emails. Email checked; take a sweet. Checking over experimental data deserved another sweet. Ignoring Cassiopeia’s new proclamation of starvation? Another sweet- Her fingers hit porcelain. Aeris blinked. The bowl was empty. It was eleven-thirty. Not that long until lunch. Aeris frowned. Somehow not a factor she considered before. Pizza sounded far more like a lunch kind of thing. People didn't judge over pizza for lunch did they? She carried on working, but still periodically reached out for the empty bowl and disappointment. Another few minutes of that and she conceded defeat; she retrieved a new bowl-full of Allsorts from the kitchen.

Okay. Now she would crack on until lunch. Thirty second later, Cassiopeia decided her latop was an excellent place to sit and stare right at her. "You are not making this easy," Aeris told the cat. Cassiopeia stared back unfazed. She would look for an empty box during lunch - otherwise today might end up being longer and less productive than normal.


	5. The Gainsborough eXperiment

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for the prompt 'Alternate Universe'. Not so keen on this (a _The Quatermass Experiment_ pastiche). So much so I wrote a replacement involving SOLDIER!Aeris (though completely different to _Aeris Gast_ ), which I will try and post next week (and continue!)

Sleep often seemed like some kind of theoretical concept these days. Certainly it often proved elusive. Perhaps Aeris could make a career out of investigating the phenomenon; if her qualifications remotely touched on that kind of subject. But she could run tests; chart how a subject (ie. her) reacted over time. Find that point where her body would shut down and time would pass without her notice. And of course the intervening steps until that happened when she became increasingly sluggish. At least until she imbibed some coffee; that was always more or less sufficient to keep her going. Until it was time for the next coffee. That or she would collapse face-down in her bed for a while. There had to be some literature on that somewhere-

Aeris shook herself. Getting distracted and procrastinating. Again. Running the launch of a space exploration mission was a magnitude of stress she would never have considered a year previous. So much to do, so many variables to check, re-check, re-re-check and then frequently replace with better ones. So many people needing endless signatures from her, or her waiting for endless signatures from everyone else.

A month remained until the launch. They had their trio of pilots ready and waiting; Cloud Strife, Sephiroth Crescent and Cid Highwind. Everything was set. If only- There were some wrinkles and potential hitches in the plans. Not least was the increasing risk of Highwind's removal from the project. It was true that he might well be the most enthusiastic and most experienced pilot. The computer systems might be largely his design. And he might have charted the courses and done half the necessary mathematics. But; his complete disrespect of any authority, refusal to spend time in the simulator, and his tendency to shirk certain essential safety systems won him no favors. He was rapidly burning through his remaining chances.

Highwind's major saving grace was that there were perilously few people they could plausibly replace him with. Unfortunately he knew that too. Shera would be Aeris's first choice, but the woman's face fell when Aeris even started putting out feelers for the notion. Space might be a point of absolute fascination for Shera (much like the rest of the division), but she unwilling or unable to consider being part of the crew. She dreamed of space but she was also adamant she would not take the first step towards it.

Distracted again; Aeris should be sorting applicants for an assistant. Offloading any of her mountain of paperwork would be a blessing at this point. Another swig of coffee and she peered at the stack of files. The temptation to do this quickly passed with some effort; picking someone based on their photograph was almost certainly a recipe for a less than qualified candidate. Though should it be? All the candidates had been through a rigorous pre-screening before she even saw the files; had to be sure they were all capable of what she needed of them. Here was Tifa Lockhart. She looked perfectly nice, attractive- Distracted! Tifa's personal statement indicated an early interest in stargazing. Good start if, not precisely the right area.

But. Difficult to overlooked that she was only in the pile because Strife passed her file on and insisted she would be perfect for the job. Aeris leafed through Lockhart's file. She was humoring Strife. Not as if- Where those really her grades? Aeris's eyes widened and she re-read the file again. She jotted down a note to get confirmation of those results. High grades did not mean anything if she did not pass any of the tests they laid out, but- Another blink. Near perfect results. Aeris leant back on her chair and studied the photograph again. Tifa Lockhart might be the perfect candidate. Too soon to give the position away, but-

Aeris put Tifa's file onto the maybe pile and started looking for anyone close.

* * *

Three months later...

"Everything's in order to start final count-down," Tifa announced and hummed a few bars from the relevant song.

Aeris stared up at the clock that had been ticking down for the last two days. "Good." She shot Tifa a grin and let out a sigh. "We're finally doing this."

Tifa smiled back. She was as good as her file, if not better and worked tirelessly in her new role. Tifa cut through the mass of paperwork Aeris had to contend so much that Aeris was able to do something not unlike the hazy concept of relaxation she remembered from the dim and distant past. This despite launch day rushing towards them like a freight train. Now the two of them stood with Shera in the control building waiting for the completion of the last checks. Way out in the distance, the towering bulk of the Shinra-26 was ready to launch; still crewed by the trio of Strife, Crescent and Highwind. The latter only had to handle a few more minutes and then there would be no stopping him. As long as he did not start smoking in the cockpit (this after the three occasions Strife prevented him from pulling out his lighter) he would go into space with the others.

Final checks completed, Aeris made her last announcements to the ground crew and the pilots. Time to make history. She gripped Tifa's hand as the rocket's engine ignited and then- Ascent. No explosion, nothing fell off of the craft; the Shinra-26 arced gracefully into the sky. The excitement became palpable as the rocket ascended and when the instruments finally indicated Shinra-26 was in a stable orbit, the room exploded into applause. Success. Tifa threw her arms around Aeris and kissed her cheek. And now perhaps there was time to think about how things had been going with her assistant...

* * *

And it had all been going so well. The Shinra -26 crew were almost out of radio range when Crescent seemed to make mention of something outside the capsule. "Shinra-26, repeat last transmission," Aeris said frowning. There was no way he could have said what she thought. Was there?

"Some.... ing, I can.. ...te-" A burst of static and a heart-stopping metallic clang. Not a comforting noise. And not a noise easily caused in the confined space of the rocket. "...on....ter...ull. ...Strife, ca... see.....?"

A storm of static swept over the radio. "Shinra-26, please repeat last transmission?" Let this be a prank or a mistake. Anything. She would yell at them all when they got back. If they got back.

"Wha.... k," Highwind yelled as Strife yelled something indecipherable.

A barrage of metallic clangs sounded from the speaker. "What is that?" Aeris demanded, forcing herself to stay silent after the question, to not hit the call button and chase for a response. Nothing. The crew were silent.

"Aeris?" Tifa looked worried. "They've moved outside of transmission range."

Now the Planet was between them and the rocket. Nothing on the radio but the distant roar of other stars. Nothing from the Shinra-26. No transmitters over that side of the world. Nothing they could do now but wait for them to answer when they were in range again. If they ever were. Tifa reached out and took Aeris's hand. Aeris laced their fingers together, but the worry remained. Had she sent three men to their deaths?


	6. Not the Most Welcoming Awakening

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Additional entry for the prompt 'Alternate Universe' - inspired by a set of gifs posted by Tiiifa on tumblr that recast Tifa as the last Cetra. This is another SOLDIER!Aerith fic, but separate from 'Aeris Gast'.

Something nudged into Aeris's side. "Are you okay?" an overly loud voice asked. Aeris groaned in response, her back aching, her head pounding, the searing bright light hurting even with her eyes closed. Another moment to gather herself- The something - presumably the same something - was impatient and nudged into her side again. "Hey?" Aeris forced one eye open.

A girl was staring down at her, her long dark hair seeming somehow forever on the verge of spilling over her shoulders but never quite getting there. Red eyes was unusual. Her concerned expression melted into relief and the start of a grin. But the girl only made it to "Hi" before her whole posture changed, the relief evaporating from her face and her body tensing.

"Hi," Aeris replied in a hopefully friendly tone. Not clear what had gone wrong, but she would figure it out. Something to worry about when she hurt less. Aeris smiled. The girl did not smile back, her concern was gone and it seemed like it was not going to return any time soon. Perhaps she needed to sort this now. What had- Oh. Aeris sighed. This again.

She forced herself into a sitting position, her head swimming and almost too heavy for her neck to support. With a grunt she forced herself to look up, fighting the urge to see what that oddly green thing underneath her was. "Guess you're not wild about people like me?"

"You're pretty astute." The girl backed off, her gaze never leaving Aeris's. "And yes. I have issues with Shinra and SOLDIER at the best of times, to say nothing of the heart-attack you almost gave me. I don't know what kind of stunt you're pulling, but-" She broke off when Aeris hunched forward with a groan, clasped her head in both hands and closed her eyes.

A blessed moment of darkness, but the pain returned all too soon. Her questing fingers revealed nothing to indicate her skull was in more than one piece. "Look, I know you're injured, and I'm- I'm glad you're not dead. But please leave. Now."

Deep breath. "Would it help if I told you I was fighting Shinra?" Aeris raised her head and leant back on her hands. The girl stared down, haloed by the streaming sunlight. So bright in here; a quirk of the plate alignments allowed actual sun to flood the interior of- Wait. What was this place? Pews or something like them in two ordered columns. The windows seemed formed of stained glass. So- She almost regretted turning her head, but before the pain got too much- There. An altar. This was a church. A church? Aeris blinked. Odd.

"A SOLDIER fighting against Shinra?" The girl snorted and folded her arms. "That's a new one."

Aeris opened her mouth- And froze. There was a lot of green beneath her. More than simply green; it was a mass of plants and- flowers. Flowers! Any kind of plant growing within the city limits was supposedly impossible. But here there were plants that were not simply growing, but actively thriving alongside the flowers. Flowers rang a distant bell.

There was a rumor about flowers in the city. Sometimes little more than an off-hand comment made every now and again; something no one really gave much attention and yet the rumor somehow persisted no matter how much time passed. The story went - in its most basic form - that there was someone below plate who sold flowers.

All kinds of different ones, but somehow fresher and longer-lasting than the limp half-dead things the Upper Plate shops could muster up. Better still than the flowers the Shinra execs imported from elsewhere for the price equivalent of a first-born child. This girl; was she the source of the rumors? 

Her distraction had lasted too long. "You okay?" the girl asked, frowning at her.

Aeris blinked. The flowers were interesting but that was something for later. Perhaps they would work well for public perception. Distracted again. "Heard of Avalanche?"

"I might have." The girl was still tense. "Though to be fair, not many in the slums who don't know about them."

"Well, I signed up." Aeris smiled. The girl shot her another quizzical look; this was hard work and her head was throbbing and a bath would be wonderful and- "I know how it sounds. It's like some absurd double-bluff isn't it? Send a SOLDIER to infiltrate an anti-Shinra group and not even try to hide what she is."

"You wouldn't be able to hide those for long-" The girl gestured towards her. Her eyes; never subtle.

Aeris gestured to her face. "Don't be so sure. Contact lenses are a thing." No response. She sighed. "Okay, I don't know if I can convince you I'm not with Shinra anymore but- I can tell you in no uncertain terms that I know Avalanche are absolutely right. Even Shinra knows they're right, though they'd never admit it. They're not about to stop what they're doing; that's something for the next generation to figure out. Or maybe the one after that." Aeris fidgeted and dragged her legs under her. Everything hurt; normal training routines for SOLDIER were bad enough, but this was something else. Could she stand? Aeris wobbled as she got to her feet.

A glance up when she straightened told more of the story of how she wound up lying in a church. A conspicuous hole in the pointed roof above her on a direct line with the warped and broken remains of the connecting bridge outside the still burning Mako Reactor 5. Aeris might be more or less fine, but what of her companions?

If Barret and Jessie had been able to get clear things should be okay. Would Avalanche be looking for her? Unlikely; if they had been they should be here by now (assuming they thought she was still alive). It was not like she would be hard to find given the circumstances they last saw her in. She needed to get back and find out. Regardless of whether the others had not made it or were waiting for her; Avalanche needed to deal with President Shinra's mysterious appearance last night.

"So you're claiming you defected?" The girl had backed up again when Aeris stood; her fists now clenched at her sides.

"I really did. First ever ex-SOLDIER. Hiding's a bit of a pain, but you can do it." She conspiratorially leant a little closer. "The contact lens thing works for the most part. Gotta stay in the light though," she stage-whispered. The girl fought back a grin; she seemed to no longer consider Aeris quite so much of a threat. "Taking a risk admitting this to you too - there is a bounty on me."

"You're lucky I would never deal with Shinra or take their money then." The girl narrowed her eyes.

"Very lucky. Glad you have your principles," Aeris said. She gestured to the flower bed. "And this of course. Not convinced I could have survived that fall otherwise. Didn't think anyone could grow flowers here." The girl said nothing, any hints she was opening up gone again. Aeris sighed. "You don't have to say anything. I'll be on my way; I need to get back to the others. That's two reactors we've taken down though now. Third should be soon. I'd offer to leave this sector alone, but-" She pointed upwards. "Sorry."

The girl sighed. "You really are with Avalanche?" Aeris nodded. "At least someone's fighting back."

Aeris grinned. "Given your animosity, I'm surprised you never tried to join."

"Too risky for me when-" The girl snapped her mouth shut. She hurried past Aeris and crouched beside the flower bed, tending to the broken stalks and crumpled flowers. Aeris's head swam and she staggered to the nearest pew. The girl looked around as the wood creaked beneath Aeris. "You're not going to ask about the flowers?"

"Not unless you want to tell me," Aeris murmured, leaning back against the pew. "I'm curious of course, but I am a stranger and-"

"I can grow flowers. I never knew I could until I came here." The girl interrupted. Aeris looked up; the girl's attention was back on the flowers, hunched over as she focused on the ground in front of her

Aeris leant forward, resting her elbows on her knees. "Somewhat ironic given no one else can do it here." She licked her lips. "You said you came here. How long have you been in Midgar?"

"Five years."

"Interesting." Aeris fiddled with her collar. "Never heard of anything like this. Because of SOLDIER I ended up involved in a lot of weird science-" A void of unpleasant former actions best not recounted or revisited. She cleared her throat. "Plants tend to wither here. Though-" The girl still had her back to Aeris. How could she grow flowers? "Where did you live before?" That tidbit might offer a clue though was unlikely to fully explain the girl's ability.

The girl glanced over her shoulder; her mouth opened- The screech of rusted hinges split the air. The girl leapt to her feet and tensed. Aeris hauled herself up again, limbs aching and joints cracking. The pain and dizziness were at least fading; SOLDIER regeneration assisting in that regard. An unfortunately familiar figure with blond hair and a dark blue suit stood in the church doorway. Aeris groaned. "Not you Elena."

"Gast." Elena scowled at her. "What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same-" Aeris sighed. "Wait. If you're not here for me. Then-" She glanced at the girl who stared at Elena, tensed and ready. 

"Gast?" the girl asked quietly; Elena muttered something into a radio.

"Aeris."

"Aeris then." A quick glance to her. "You can fight, right?" Aeris nodded. "Could you maybe help get me out of here?"

The girl clenched her fists again and she shifted into a combat stance. The girl versus a Turk? No contest on whose side she was taking. "I could."

"Good. And I can pay you if you need it," the girl shot back. "I'm not helpless, but you seem to at least know that Turk so-"

"I am unfortunately well acquainted with their ways," Aeris interrupted and smiled. "I think I can help you out." An impulse, a stupid notion, but she said it before she could stop herself. "Cost will be one date." Aeris winked. What was she thinking? But the girl took her words in her stride. While that was definitely a roll of her eyes, it came both a nod and a hint of a smile. Interesting. "It's a deal." Aeris took a deep breath, moved to approach Elena and stopped. "Okay. I'm sorry, one more thing. I, er, don't even know your name?"

"It's Tifa," the girl said.

"Tifa," Aeris echoed. "Let's get you someplace safer."


	7. The Funny Side of Everything

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for the prompt 'Funniest moment'

Almost funny in the end; how disappointing much of what Aeris learned was, and how little hope remained for the future of her personal quest. She moved quietly through the night, away from the others and towards the observatory at the pinnacle of Cosmo Canyon. The glimpse of the Planet from out in space, the dance of stars and other worlds; she needed to experience that again. Bugenhagen might still be awake. How could one sleep easy knowing what he did, after what he showed them? Like her he would be unable to rest while thoughts whirled and dreams amounted to nothing. All she wanted was a distraction. A chance to stare into those artificial stars and think of something, anything else.

But Aeris's hand stopped when she lifted it to knock on the door of the observatory that doubled as Bugenhagen's home. Who was she kidding? Far too late for someone of the Elder's age to be up. Not now, when the lights were off inside and the moon was high in the sky. Maybe she would get a chance tomorrow – depending on how repairs on the buggy went. Aeris retreated to the cliff edge and sat down, dangling her legs over the side.

Below the Cosmo Candle continued to burn, only the solitary guardian assigned the overnight duty still visible on the plateau. Above was the universe, the stars gleaming in the night sky. Not quite as clear as the nights on the container ship, but far more vivid than the sky above Kalm or Junon. A world apart from the faint pin-pricks poking through the mirk over Midgar. Even Gongaga had not been so clear-

She had forgotten his name. Aeris frowned. That man, barely more than a boy, stammering, nervous and flushing at her attention after she crept from Kalm on the first night out of Midgar. How could she possibly sleep now the world had opened up to her and there were untold vistas to explore? A world without high walls and gates. Somewhere without a metal sky and the clinging fog of pollution. Everyone else in Avalanche had previously seen something of the world outside Midgar at some point in their lives. She never had and now she had the chance, she could not bear to waste a minute.

The man in question was out in the wilderness a few hundred metres from the limits of Kalm. Better to see the stars by he said by way of explanation when she asked. He obliged her curiosity and tried vainly to focus on the sky and not her. His murmuring commentary noted he was far enough from Kalm to minimise light pollution, but not too distant to overly run a risk of monster attack. Likely he thought she did not notice the quick glances at her chest when she was looking up at the sky. No matter; space was far more interesting.

Aeris asked question after question and he answered. Constellations and galaxies hanging above them; cooling grass beneath her. A perspective so different to that which Bugenhagen offered. He showed Aeris and Avalanche that the multitude of stars was far vaster than those visible from the ground. Would that every revelation of late had been as joyous and enthralling. Seeking knowledge had lead her to so many new places; but not without cost.

The visit to Gongaga picked at a wound she had not realised was still there, though that at least offered a form of closure. Of her ex’s fate there could be little other explanation but his death, her old assumptions weak in the face of his parent's distress. There remained some lingering hope all the same. That she - and his parents - were wrong, that one day they might be able to meet and talk about what happened, but-

Relying - like she always had on this fact - too much on her unwanted ability. No guarantee she would have ever felt his passing like those others. Midgar was less riddle with blind spots with regard to her connection to the Planet and more of a gigantic blind spot in itself. The odd place existed where her mother’s voice was almost audible. The confirmation of a particular likely death was painful, but it was not like she had expected to somehow running across him again. No. This place – Cosmo Canyon – was where her hopes had run out.

There were no other Cetra left in the world. Not a single instance. It was of course possible that the Sages were wrong. Nothing to say that in some far-flung part of the world, well away from Shinra and its machinations, another of her kind still existed. Perhaps more than one. She could still hope. But like her certainty regarding Zack, protests about her isolated nature were now hollow. She was not so much hoping now, but more trying to deny something obvious.

She was the last Cetra and - if Hojo was correct - not even a true successor. The Sages offered all they could for her; what records remained regarding what her people were like, what they did, how they lived. But everything was old, outdated and incomplete. Of the few things all accounts could agree on was that she should be able hear and understand the Planet. The more disputed texts indicated there might be more, that the Planet should respond to her. Hard to imagine; outside of fleeting moments, the murmur that came in the voice of her Mother. Nothing that she felt from it was ever coherent or clear. Was that her nature as both Cetra and human interfering or a talent lost to time?

Funny. All her hopes pinned to what she might learn on this journey. And all those hopes had been for naught. Her journey began with a desire to learn more about herself and her ancestors. She knew more now, though all of it purely academic. But to live a Cetra life? That was something no one could teach her any longer. The Sages' books contained descriptions of traditions, ceremonies, beliefs. Could they begin again? Was there a merit to trying to bring them back?

And more importantly what would she do now? Going back to Midgar was to admit defeat and once more risk capture. She would go back eventually for Mom, of that there was no question, but what about the meantime? She could request a place here, learn what more she could of the Cetra. No; no desire to immerse herself in the transcribed vestiges of her culture. Two more options then; venture off into the world to see what else there was. There was a chance it might lead to finding another Cetra.

Alternatively she could stay with Avalanche. Who knew where their journey, where Sephiroth’s trail, would take them next? It had already lead them so far and in following it, she had gained so many friends. An easy choice in the end; she would see this journey through. And maybe eventually see the true funny side of everything.


	8. Post-Meteor Birthday

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for the prompt 'Birthday'.

For the first years, from age seven to fourteen, Aeris's birthday had always involved Elmyra getting time off work to spend with her daughter. This took some getting used to; afterall it was not as if the labs ever celebrated her birthdays. At least not officially. On a few years, some of the kinder techs took the pains to slip her a cupcake on the relevant day, and her mother would always do what she could with what they had. The slums were a definite step-up. There was always a cake, always presents and usually a party – all the other kids in the neighborhood Aeris knew to greater or lesser degrees invited. Her teenage years saw changes as money became tighter; prices rose and Elmyra’s wages no longer stretched quite as far; a contributing factor to Aeris’s own flower selling business. She understood the situation well enough – even if she had resented the reductions at the time. Still a cake, but Elmyra would restrict her celebrations to the evening, and a good proportion of those neighborhood kids were either gone or considered enemies now.

When she entered her twenties, birthdays seemed to lose the former special delight. Aeris was not jaded like some older fictional characters always seemed to be; nor was she afflicted with a crushing sense of life slipping away. Instead Aeris let the relevant day arrive and pass without much fuss. There was often still at least a present and - if it had been a good month - cake. No neighborhood kids these days and no time for parties. Maturity or the unavoidable conclusion based on current circumstances?

No adult – or at least no one in her friendship group – got birthday parties in the post-Mako world. Too much to do, too many places to be while they struggled to keep something akin to the life of the pre-Meteor days going. Only this time, they had to do so without the Mako. The leech-like reactors had been essential to life and must not be any longer - though there were days when Aeris could not help but wonder if a slower progression from one power-source to another might have been more sensible or at least more comfortable. Bad thoughts; the dark implications of Mako processing were too queasy to allow to continue.

Maybe one day she could have another party; a proper gathering of her friends and family. For now it was at least enough to see them all. She had missed the chance on her first trip across the Planet to have an impromptu celebration in one of the inns they stayed at. Based on other gatherings of the full Avalanche membership it would have resulted in a raucous good time for all involved. For this birthday at least, by a fortunate sequence of events, the entirety of Avalanche would be in Junon for at least a few hours. But not everyone at the same time annoyingly.

Cloud and Tifa were first at a painful time of day. Six-thirty am was not a time that should exist full-stop, but it was the point when Cloud was passing through on his way over to Gongaga. He stayed a scant few minutes after an extended hug; Tifa remained behind to spend a few hours with Aeris before she needed to get on with the business concerns that brought her here. Tempting to slope back to bed for a little while, but once Tifa offered to make breakfast while Aeris showered, it would be madness to turn down such an offer.

Still difficult to stop yawning – even after three cups of coffee – but Aeris persevered. Breakfast consumed and coffee imbibed, there was just enough time for Tifa and Aeris to meet-up with Barret on his way in for a meeting with the WRO energy board. Tifa went off to see someone about a cache of spirits turned up recently while Aeris and Barret called up Marlene and Mom back in Kalm. Marlene was admittedly more excited by the imminent visit of her father, but with only a little hinting from Barret she remembered to wish Aeris happy birthday. Aeris promised to visit her again when she could. Mom apologised for not being able to make the trip; Aeris insisted it was fine and they would see each other soon enough.

Barret left for his meeting an hour before her next visitor. Maybe bed would be a good idea? No time; Cid and Shera turned up early. The pair were not due until later this evening, but (ironically) high winds around Wutai had cut short an intended run over to the continent. Cid was still Cid; not much about him seemed capable of change. He slipped in yet another veiled urging for the WRO to consider space-flight again. Same conversation they had every other time they ran into each other. And inevitably Aeris promised to pass that request on too – not that she had much sway with these kinds of things. Shera had no such agenda and was merely happy to see her. She brought a present too; a miniature model of the Highwind. Hard not to smile at this being the closest she ever came to flying on it. There had been many airship trips; but never one on the Highwind, certainly not now after its recycling into a new craft.

Vincent turned up with worrying precision – or early according to Aeris’s watch. His considered opinion on that detail was that her battery was wearing out. Nice to see him, even if among all of them, he remained the most distant and stiff. Tempting to at least try and embarrass him with a hug, but she let him slope off without it. His desire to be away was no surprise given Yuffie should arrive around same time – and he was still keen on avoiding her. Perhaps he really had been early? No time for that; the Wutai princess was here complete with a wide, wide range of gossip, stories and intrigue. Yuffie was somewhat freer with her time than the others and somehow Aeris found herself paying for lunch.

Nanaki arrived part-way through. Of them all, he had made the most specific effort to visit for the day; and despite Aeris’s insistence he was under no obligation to do so, he maintained his intention to see her. At least he was able to keep her company for the rest of the day rather than immediately chartering another transport all the way back to Cosmo Canyon. Yuffie vanished off for some errand or other leaving them to a quiet afternoon. Nanaki was as easy to talk to as always; he related what was happening with his home and listened to Aeris about her time here. She offered him the chance to accompany her to dinner, but Nanaki demurred. The evening meal should have been Aeris, Reeve, Cid and Shera, but the earlier arrival of the latter pair meant it was just the two of them in Reeve’s apartment.

Reeve insisted on apologising through the meal – he repeatedly insisted the wine was no sign of any expectations or even thoughts in such a direction. Aeris replied she didn't mind, shrugged and they shared the bottle. Not that Reeve even seemed to have time for a relationship; he close to collapse with leadership duties. The pause for this dinner was something of a hole in his sleep schedule from what Yuffie had been saying. To that end they caught up on WRO stuff, Reeve wished her happy birthday, then Aeris left early, insisting he take the opportunity to get a bit more sleep than normal.

She wandered home happy and content. Not the typical kind of birthday, but more than enough. One final tradition when the day drew to a close; mother told her once she was born at a quarter to midnight. Aeris stayed up until the same moment to witness the moment her years on the Planet ticked over. Only then did she finally retire to bed.


	9. A Simple Enough Sentiment

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for the prompt 'I want to meet the real you.'

Aeris liked Cloud. That should have been a simple enough sentiment, but these kind of things never seemed to be entirely straight-forward. There were complications and some contributing factors to that liking. Plus quite when it began was not totally clear, but she suspected its origins lay somewhere during their stint in Wall Market. Certainly the previous day had been too soon; that was the shock of surprise and a helping hand when she needed it (despite her off the cuff offer of a date in lieu of payment). And it was not like her feelings had settled when Cloud insisted on sneaking away from her house in the early morning. She followed; no way was she letting the chance of something new, something exciting leave her behind. Hard to ignore there were some other feelings packed into those early decisions; both a certain amount of curiosity about Avalanche and a link to her past. What could Cloud tell her about Zack?

Little it seemed based on that moment they paused in the play park. Later that little reduced to nothing when against most odds Avalanche ran into Zack's parents. So anxious for any news, so desperate to know what became of him - like she had once been. While time had healed her wounds - in part thanks to her assumptions regarding his absence - their loss remained a raw wound and there was nothing she could tell them to help. That reveal affected Tifa in some odd way too; she refused to explain why Zack's name troubled her so and any implications related to it.

Other matters distracted Aeris in the interim; Cosmo Canyon near blasted away concerns about her ex and afterward there was Nibelheim to contend with. Aeris did her part to keep Cloud and Tifa going while old secrets came to light and the lie of the town they found still standing was clear. Rocket Town and Wutai gave her a chance to pause; new events and concerns took precedence. Nothing like a panicked flight while Shinra shot at Avalanche and another tangling with Don Corneo to change her priorities, to re-evaluate her relationships. The past was gone and there was little she could do about it now. Avalanche was her present and seemed a perfectly acceptable future.

The Gold Saucer was too good an opportunity to pass up. Bloodshed marred their previous visit to the theme park and the plan was for a fleeting visit this time. But they wound up stuck there thanks to a succession of fortunate misfortunes. Still; opportunity - she never had paid Cloud back for his bodyguard role. Going out on the date here gave her a nervous thrill; like sneaking out at night while Mom slept or feigning a non-existent illness to stay home. Unlike those occasions in her past, this sneaking around was all innocent; up to a point anyway. There was no harm in her accompanying Cloud while they explored the theme park. And yet it did still mean something for it to be just the two of them; she made no move to let anyone else know she was alone with Cloud like this - nor did she want anyone to find out.

But. Impossible to truly ignore the same nagging issue. The thing that bothered her on their second meeting, but lessened after; why did he remind her so much of Zack? Cloud had insisted - quite emphatically - he knew no one with her ex's name. He was adamant there was no SOLDIER first class named Zack. Quite what that meant was unclear; the ranks of SOLDIER were not exactly public knowledge so it was certainly possible that the two never had met. But then; was it also possible that Zack had never attained that rank either? She never had questioned anything he told her in the past - her relationship with him was more tangling with Shinra than she ever expected to do. But then how to explain Cloud's comments? Or was Cloud the one lying? Not as if she could quiz him about SOLDIER much. Best to take him at his word.

So; had Zack been trying to impress her? Maybe. And yet there were still so many little similarities between him and Cloud. Cloud's leap to his feet from the flower bed mimicked a movement Zack made when she first met him (slipped over on the ice in Sector Eight, but he was back up on his feet in moments). The way Cloud dropped what must be SOLDIER slang into conversation was familiar too; and a near inexplicable hint of a Gongagan accent in his voice – one Tifa did not share.

And maybe that had contributed to her initial interest in him. But those elements faded away. Something of a shock how much he changed in retrospect. The aloof, boastful Cloud she met unconscious in the church - the one who insisted she stayed behind for her own safety; that man seemed to evaporate over time. The hint of his accent faded and he sounded increasingly like Tifa. The SOLDIER lingo became increasingly sporadic and dried up entirely. But Cloud was still here; or perhaps he was a different version of Cloud, no longer eclipsed by the first. He smiled a lot more than he had in Wall Market. It wasn’t her influence, or anyone else’s from what she could see. He and Barret were once typically mere moments from an argument on so many occasions at the point they left Midgar. After the Gold Saucer the two were that much more at ease around the other. Easy enough to attribute that to reveals about Barret’s past and the reduction of the burden he carried, but that never seemed to ring true.

Cloud had never been outright cold to any of them, but he had certainly tried to remain distant and uncaring - at first. He kept trying to keep them at arm's length but then at some point over their travels he stopped. Not right away and not consistently for a time, but slowly he let himself simply be with them all. The Cloud she met in Sector Five would never approach her at Cosmo Canyon to assure her he and their friends were with her. Never would have forgiven Yuffie or raced Chocobos for their freedom. An external observer might attribute his actions to simple concern but- No. She had seen him distant and uncaring about the black-cloaked figure would spoke gibberish in Sector Five - and then how differently he reacted to them in Nibelheim. Cloud was in some state of flux. Which begged more questions; why and how had such a thing happened? More to the point what was undoing his act?

Tifa confided how Cloud changed over the course of a day; a cold-hearted mercenary desperate to get moving before undertaking his part of the assault on the Sector One reactor, and then later, capable of handing back what meager savings Avalanche had paid him. There was a performance there on his part - his insistence he wanted more money - but he never asked for payment again. Cloud was still with the group or perhaps they were with him - and did that distinction matter? But his professed desire for solitude, the need to get moving back to his mercenary life was long gone. He was more trusting now; the mere thought of a traitor in their midst was unfathomable to him.

So; Aeris liked Cloud. But she did not simply like the Cloud she first met, the Cloud who fell into her lap. She liked the Cloud he was becoming, the real Cloud. He was attractive enough, but to want to be with him? This new emerging Cloud, the one who would laugh and joke with his companions with increasing confidence, this was the one that interested her. And for now the gradual reveals of the true Cloud was the most fun; she was on her way to meeting the real him.


	10. A Family of Friends

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for the prompt 'Family'

Family - to Aeris - had a tendency to shift its make-up over time. For the parts of her early childhood she could still remember (and more critically the parts she had any desire to revisit), family was her mother alone. Everyone else in her life back then was various grades of hostile and she tried her best to keep them at arms length. Serious offenders ranged from the lab technicians who did their work with varying degrees of uncaring obedience to those who called the shots; Hojo and President Shinra in particular.

Her arrival in Sector Five was a jarring change; a new family, but still oddly similar – a single parent like before in the lab. But far more freedom than ever before. More warmth. Family was once a shield to protect her from the ever thirsty needles and harsh glare of the artificial lights. Now she lived in the twilight beneath the plates; her family was more relaxed although Mom was still someone who was there for her if and when she needed her.

On later reflection, Elmyra must have had about the same idea of how to be a mother that Aeris did in being a seven year-old; little. Despite all Aeris's curiosity and desire to see the world, it was hard to shake learned procedures inherited from her time in Shinra. Little things like staying in her room until escorted elsewhere. The certainty that any attempt to go somewhere outside of normal, approved areas would result in pain and potentially reduced portions at meal times. Food was now so different; trickier still to adjust to meals not on a strict rota. It was a long time until Aeris called Elmyra mom – and longer still until the word no longer fazed the older woman every-time.

Mother and daughter learned how to live together over time as they found the boundaries and specific distances needed to feel comfortable with each other. Mom soon learned that the time before their first meeting was not something Aeris wanted to think much about – a notion compounded thanks to Tseng’s intrusion into her new life. Elmyra rebuffed the Turk whenever she could – and Aeris was not about to give him any chance to take her back. Running and hiding in the slums became part of everyday life.

Mom was there for Aeris over the next fourteen years. There to help while she grew into a teenager. There for her to lean on in the aftermath of Zack's disappearance. Zack was a sore spot; though as much as she had cared about him, perhaps even loved him, he was never family. Perhaps he might have been one day; if whatever drew him away had not occurred. If they had been able to spend more time together. Too many ifs. The harsh reality was that even when they were dating, he was often away for long periods – his posting in Junon did not help in that regard. Back then it had not mattered; she had been young and smitten. Back then, if he asked her to marry him she might have said yes without another thought; the same question from him knowing all she did now would have given her pause. Her hypothetical commitment was far less certain. Had life happened differently her family might have grown with him. In the end, nothing came of her time with Zack; an unfulfilled potential.

Aeris could not remember who voiced the notion that modern families were less about actual blood relatives and more about friends. She suspected she would append adoptive parents – and Aeris could never dismiss her connection back to her own mother, but if ever she wanted a larger family- Well. Either she would need to look outside of Midgar for others like her, or assemble said family herself. Her collection of friends in the slums shifted with worrying variance over time; some managed to find a way out of the darkness to live on the Upper plate while others vanished in the night-time. To another human or one of the more monstrous denizens of the city was often unclear. There remained the chance they got back out of the trap that was Midgar, but the odds were slim.

There was no expectation of much from Cloud on the first meeting. He was another SOLDIER, though a rarity given his show of more than a modicum of concern after the mako reactor explosion. Meeting him again was a coincidence, but not unwanted. That he and Tifa would both be similarly lacking a blood-related family like her was a surprise. But the two of them were constructing a new family - a family Aeris was soon drawn into. When they met, Tifa’s family was Barret, Jessie, Biggs, Wedge and Marlene; Cloud's was newer and less clear though contained an overlap of people. Sadly Cloud and Tifa's mutual families soon contracted. A pity Aeris met only Wedge for a brief moment; Jessie and Biggs not at all. She barely had a chance to speak to Barret before Tseng whisked her away and yet he was still prepared to risk his life breaking into Shinra with the other the remainder of Avalanche. He, like Cloud, like Tifa, had come for her.

A family of friends. Her family. To Aeris's surprise, she was part of the bedrock of the family. Like any family they had their arguments, had their unconcerned intimacy; the few flushed faces when changing in cramped confines soon ceased. All of them too tired to gawp at anyone else’s naked body and hiding away was not worth the time. They all took turns for chores within the group; to cook, to heal up, to forage. The family were not exactly discerning about who joined; though Barret had misgivings about Yuffie – and early on it would have been impossible to imagine the group including Cait Sith. But no matter however disparate or odd the origins of each member of the group, they all soon became part of the family.


	11. Afternoon Delight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for the prompt 'Loving a shadow'

Reno was sitting slouched in the window, blowing smoke outside while Aeris lounged on rumpled bedsheets, deeply satisfied. Today was another day she should be out selling flowers; another day when an encounter with the Turk had made coming home while Mom was out far too appealing. They could have gone elsewhere naturally; plenty of love hotels in Wall Market for this purpose. But it was comfortable here, cleaner, more private, and - above all else - free. Plus there was a thrill at sneaking into the empty house so that they could sleep together – and be loud with no risk of anyone overhearing. The Turk glanced from the window, winked at her and exhaled another plume of smoke. Aeris was working up the desire to move – or at least entice Reno to return to the bed and whatever that might lead to – when the front door slammed.

Aeris cursed, and scrambled from the bed, her foot coming down hard on a loose floorboards. It creaked. “Aeris?” her Mom called in the same moment Aeris let out a whispered curse. Little chance of pretending she wasn’t here. Reno looked infuriatingly unconcerned.

“Yeah, Mom?”

No reply, but Mom’s footsteps were on the stairs. Aeris made frantic hand gestures at Reno and turned to fumble with the lock on her door. She slid the bolt into position with agonising slow movements. There. Breath. "Reno-" she murmured and stopped. The Turk was gone. Aeris blinked. No time to look, but where could he have gone? The wardrobe? Under the bed? Not important right now. Aeris grabbed her dressing gown and pulled it on, sniffing at the air. Was that a trace of cigarette smoke? She might be able to claim she’d gone through an area with a lot of smokers and the smell was clinging to her clothes. Wait. Clothes. Her rumpled, discarded dress and underwear lay scattered across her bedroom floor. Maybe she could get away without opening the door- A creak on the floorboards outside her room; Aeris froze in place. 

“Surprised you were in.”

Not accusatory, but there was an air of concern in her voice. Aeris bit back her own question regarding Mom’s presence at this juncture. “I needed to change.” Not enough. She licked her lips. “I slipped over in Sector Eight. Right into one of the gardens.” The common assumption was nothing grew in Midgar, though that was not quite accurate. Nothing grew in the slums, except for that which Aeris concerned herself with. The Upper Plate and its denizens on the other hand had the resources to try and keep some vestiges of greenery alive - however expensive, time-consuming and ultimately futile such efforts were. There was something approaching fertile earth up there – imported from outside the city at great expense. Gardeners tended to the soil daily although the plants growing from there were unable to escape a sickly look not present in any of her flowers. Normally there was little point in trying to sell flowers in that area, and normally she would never bother. However she had ventured there before, and it was her best excuse available.

“Oh no!” Mom gasped. “You didn’t hurt yourself did you?”

“No, I’m good.” She glanced around the room again. Really no sign of Reno. Or his clothes oddly enough. The window was open however. Maybe he had dropped down, but then wouldn’t she have heard that? “Just wanted to get cleaned up quickly.” Would that be enough? “Are you okay?”

“Oh, I’m fine. Problem with the electrics today so they sent us home.” Code for having to be careful with food this week; Mom’s company like almost all others in the city was painfully strict with what it was willing to pay it’s employees for - and any hour they weren't actively working was one more than they would pay for. That shortfall was something her flowers helped make up. Aeris winced. And here she was indulging herself. “And I got something for you on the way home.”

A gift? When they should be frugal? “Mom-“ Aeris started.

“I couldn’t resist. Want to see?”

Another check of the room. Her clothes still on the floor. She nudged them under the bed with her foot, took a deep breath and opened the door. Mom smiled at her and held out a strip of pink ribbon. “I saw this and thought, that would look wonderful on you. Especially since you can’t really wear the old one-“ Mom’s gaze flicked to her dresser. What was she looking at? Was the box of condoms right in the open or- Her old ribbon; one of the only things Mother had ever been able to gift her in her childhood. Aeris had worn it every day since she arrived in the slums; now it was threadbare and on the verge of fraying apart. It would be nice to start wearing one again. “That’s lovely,” Aeris took the ribbon, smiling at Mom. “But you really-“

Mom pressed the ribbon into her hands. “Oh hush. We’ll cope.” She looked inquisitively behind Aeris. “Are your clothes in the wash already?”

One lie and so many things to keep track of. “Oh, no, they’re over there-“ Aeris waved towards the end of her bed and the obscured, vacant part of the floor. “I’ll sort them in a minute.”

“I don’t mind sorting them-“

“You should relax,” Aeris said quickly. “Make the most of the time off.”

“Oh. Okay.” Mom grinned. “There were some other chores I was planning on taking care of this afternoon. Have you had lunch yet?” Aeris shook her head. “I’ll sort some out if you’re hungry?”

“Thanks. Just let me get dressed and I’ll be right down.” Aeris closed the door behind Mom and waited until she descended the stairs before letting out a sigh of relief.

“That was close.”

Aeris whirled to see Reno, still smoking, sat in the window in much the same position as before. He was at least dressed this time. “How-“

“Turk,” he said and smirked. He nodded to her hand. “What’s that?”

“A new ribbon.” Aeris gathered her hair together into a messy pony-tale and tied the ribbon around it.

“Looks good on you.” He smiled. “So now what?”

“Now I have lunch.” She slipped her dressing gown off, Reno's lazy gaze tracking her while she pulled new clothes from her drawers and dressed. Her other clothes would need washing at some point she could sneak them in without Mom wondering where the mud had gone. “And you- You wait here until I can figure out a way to sneak you out.”

“Hey.” Reno pointed to himself again. “Turk. I’ll sneak myself out.”

He had admittedly been pretty miraculously invisible mere moments before. “Okay. Sorry about the interruption, I-“

Reno shook his head. “Things happen. Maybe next time we'll have longer...” He trailed off and she could not help the smile at the thought.


	12. Career Plans

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for the prompt 'Favorite Relationship'

Aeris reckoned relationships would be something she got to when she was older. At some point they would make sense, but somehow she never seemed to reach a sufficient age. The concept seemed forever beyond the curve of plausibility. All around her the people she grew up with lusted after other people in a way she did not. She enjoyed making out, but the implied spark from fiction never struck her the way it did other people. She supposed she had not found the right person yet. Or she simply might not think along those kind of lines.

Mom left her alone; unlike certain media cliches she expressed no desperation for grandchildren. Aeris's lack of concern on supposed romantic occasions passed without comment. She had her friends and enjoyed their company. Did she need to pursue anything more? Films and TV loved to push the idea of romances written in the stars, but also loved to demonstrate how becoming romantically close could cause a falling out with both friends and lovers over a long enough time-span.

Fiction of course; real life offered plenty examples of happy couples. Also single-parents who seemed content with no intention of seeking out someone new. This group encompassed both her best friends; Cloud and Tifa had only a single living parent.

Tifa remained the closest Aeris made when she and Mom moved to Nibelheim. They did everything together; clambering up Mount Nibel with Cloud (quickly added to Aeris's group of friends) occasionally in tow, sleep overs every other weekend, sharing everything and near inseparable.

When they reached their teenage years, the need for Aeris and her friends to find their own paths in life became inescapable. Tifa excelled both at navigating the trails across Mount Nibel and cooking. Whenever anyone posed the question to Aeris, her responses rested on her skill at gardening. Tifa made the obvious but not unwanted suggestion she open a flower shop. A fantastic idea; if not for the existing establishment in town - and the owner had no need for any kind of assistant. Not like the inn was crying out for extra staff to work in the kitchens either - and Tifa's expertise on the mountain was in demand.

Contrary to both, Cloud had always made a big thing of his future; he wanted to enroll in SOLDIER. A certain amount of jealousy gave Aeris the idea to also seek out Midgar and SOLDIER. A career path, if nothing close to her dream job. Easy to convince Cloud to let her tag along when he left. And yet it never felt like the right decision - but what else could she do?

Despite the decision, Aeris could not help but note drawbacks with her plan near immediately. She might not enjoy life in the city for one thing. Or she might fail to qualify for SOLDIER. Cloud's assignments could be miles from her. No Tifa to talk to whenever she wanted- Those worries never touched Cloud. He had no desire to look back - only forward to the horizon and the future. At least Tifa was going to journey with them until Costa del Sol.

The trio made good time to Cosmo Canyon. Aeris and Tifa shared a twin room to cut down on the expenses. So nice to have her alone again. Hard to sleep when there was so much to see and do, but exhaustion forced the issue in the end. At least the cold stone of the rooms made dozing off easy. The sticky, sweltering heat of Gongaga left her tired; somehow Tifa slept in the stifling room they shared. Aeris - soaked with sweat and never able to get comfortable - kicked all the sheets to the ground. Sometime later she pulled only the absolute thinnest back over her to prevent the irritating tickle of buzzing insects alighting on her sweat-drenched limbs. Not going back there again - or at least not without a room with air conditioning.

At North Corel Aeris suffered new doubts. Not far from the edge of the continent. Not far until Tifa would head back. The last time the topic came up, it sounded like she would return home soon. The notion hurt more than expected. Aeris wouldn't see Tifa for some time. There might not long until some opportunity arose, but whole months would pass before they could see each other again. Aeris bit her lip, not wanting to worry Tifa.

Not telling Tifa of her worries caused other issues; once they reached Costa del Sol, Tifa took both Aeris and Cloud out for a celebratory meal. Aeris feigned something similar to Cloud's excitement and did perhaps a bit too effective a job. They toasted their success before bed and time was running out at a faster and faster rate. Aeris barely slept; could she tell Tifa everything she wanted to before an ever-widening gap between them? Until the realization. She couldn't go with Cloud. Couldn't bear to leave Tifa behind and continue on with him. She could not try for SOLDIER.

In the early hours of the morning Aeris apologized to Tifa and Cloud, bleary-eyed and detached from the world. Aeris wanted to go home.

Tifa was nothing but supportive of her choice and gave Aeris every assurance she could. They stayed side by side to wave Cloud onto the boat and off to his new life. But despite Aeris's certainty she did not want to try for SOLDIER, it was difficult to shift the notion she had made the wrong choice. A worry, but not insurmountable. If she changed her mind, her opportunity was not gone forever; she could wait for the next boat.

Her feelings remained in flux and they headed home. Slower than the outward trip; no schedule to keep, only an inevitable destination and an eventual need to explain why she had come back. Somehow Tifa never lost her patience with Aeris during this time - and at North Corel, she offered to take Aeris's mind off recent events. Not how Aeris expected but impossible to complain about how Tifa achieved her goal.

Impossible to resist Tifa's kisses nor did she want to stop once they holed up in a room together. The kisses continued until one thing lead to another. They shared the bed - and something in Aeris's perspective shifted. No need to figure out her life right now. This trip - she had enjoyed the trip and the company. What she had not liked was the finality or the destination. So could they keep on going? The route back to Nibelheim became slower and slower, they lingered more and more in their travels and shared a bed every night.

Despite their dawdling, they could not avoid the inevitable. Returning to Nibelheim did not provoke the gut-churning worry heading for Midgar had. Mom accepted Aeris back without protest, though remained bemused Aeris did not now want to stay put. She stayed close to Tifa - now more than ever. They continued sleeping together; they both enjoyed it, so why stop? And everything else grew from there. They both tracked across Mount Nibel, made their way to Rocket Town. They returned to Cosmo Canyon and later explored the North.

Marriage was a logical step. They spent so much time in each other's company - plus there the perks for married couples, so why not? They'd split their time between the parents' house for now; neither keen on settling down yet.


	13. Longest of Long Shots

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for the prompt 'Birthplace'

“This is horrible!” Elena shouted above the howling wind, rubbing at the sleeves of her coat. Behind Aeris the landing craft was already motoring back out to the sub; their temporary home for the last week on this trip to the North. Now a frustrating trek through the snow lay between them and their destination. Gelnikas could not operate effectively at this latitude – nor did Shinra seem willing to construct any kind of base up here. That left the sea, and largely the subs. To look on the positive side of things, the week in transit had given Aeris plenty of time to get to know the newest member of the Turks. On reflection, playing endless hands of cards had not been the best preparation for the weather here.

“What did you expect?” she asked the other woman.

“I know, it’s just-“ Elena shook her head. “How far?”

Aeris peered at the map, the wind threatening to tear it from her hands. “A few hours away.” They had an emergency shelter with them, but staying out here was not an outcome either looked forward to. She took a wobbly step forward, each footfall sinking deep into the snow, her muscles already aching. Elena trailed after her, conversation difficult. At least it was not snowing.

To the south a line of mountains jutted up above the snow, representing one of the known limits of the continent. There were partial maps of the region, but explorers and cartographers always went missing somewhere in the maze of caves and twisted paths there. Further South at the lowest tip of the continent was the Sleeping Forest – the name no kind of exaggeration; those who ventured past the tree line would succumb to exhaustion well before reaching any kind of conjectured half-way point. If lucky, a team from Bone Village would find them and drag them back out. If unlucky- Was there anything in there to feed on them? Something unaffected by the soporific effect? What was in between the trees and the mountains? Perhaps the mountains lead into the forest and there was nothing to find.

A mystery for another time. All she could do was speculate for now; neither Turk was remotely equipped to risk exploration in that area. Elena was talking to her.

“Huh?” Aeris blinked and strained to hear anything over the wind. “Didn’t catch that.”

“I said, ‘Do you really think we’ll find anything?’,” Elena asked. “That lab’s been abandoned for at least two decades.”

“Doesn’t matter,” Aeris said. “Orders are orders.”

“Yeah, but-“ Elena cut herself off.

Hard not to share her unspoken pessimism about the assignment. All things considered, Elena should be glad this was not one of the less pleasant Turk missions. Forget SOLDIER recruitment; one of Aeris’s first tasks was a panicked shoot-out with some anti-Shinra forces in the Midgar slums. Elena should be able to avoid getting her hands bloodied on this mission. As hurried and ill-conceived as it was.

The science division were running out of ideas and fast. Not that anyone had any better plans given the strange situation they were now in. An impossible ghost from the past was back. The impossible return of Sephiroth should have been easy to dismiss, but Palmer was sticking to his story no matter how many times he repeated it. He had seen something - that much was accepted - but whether Sephiroth or something else was still up for debate. Had the alleged ghost killed the president or was someone else responsible? Unknown - and Shinra needed information. Sending people for anything related to Sephiroth's past was the current longest of the long shots.

Reno and Rude had been dispatched back to Nibelheim for what was left of the Jenova project records. That sounded a more sensible and pleasant destination, but Hojo was strangely insistent Aeris be sent here – and Rufus was ready to capitulate to whatever the man wanted. No doubt Hojo was messing with her again. For a time she had been the subject of endless fascination; he cared more for those whispers on the edge of her hearing than she did. They were part of the background of life. Nothing to worry about. But he worried, and wanted to know the voices' source. But if there was a single flaw to Hojo (absurd; the man had a billion) his short attention span topped the list. He no longer considered Aeris endlessly fascinating nor those voices - nothing had been made of them in years.

The voices never spoke in words – or at least any Aeris was familiar with – but were always audible. Here they should be clear above the wind, but for some reason her head was quiet. Strangely both a relief and troubling to be without something that had seemed ever-present in the past. Not something Elena needed to know about either.

* * *

Hours later, the lights of Icicle Inn shone ahead of them, the small town somewhat sheltered from the freezing winds by the landscape. Their rooms at the inn had been arranged in advance – they might be lacking easy transport, but at least there were phonelines here. “C’mon,” Aeris gestured further into town when Elena moved towards the inn and their shared room.

“What. Now?” Her face fell.

Aeris shrugged. “We can reconnoitre at least. Saves time if there’s nothing worth grabbing. If there is-“ Another shrug. “Then we don’t have to worry tomorrow.”

Elena’s eyes widened. “You’re actually advocating bunking off?” She grinned. “You?”

Aeris bit back a smile and headed for the relevant building. “I’m lazier than people think.”

“You gotta teach me how.”

The former lab was a little way down the street, the door near blocked by accumulated snowfall over the years. The power had been cut off long ago; no way to see in here without their torches. The place looked more like a house – a distinction even less clear inside. Or perhaps more accurately, the building had once been a house and was now a lab. No. Somehow it straddled the distinctions. A set of stairs lead down to what looked like a furnished bedroom below ground. “Why did Hojo say the lab was shut down?” The succession of too familiar holes in surfaces and equipment induced a shiver down Aeris’s spine.

“Not sure he ever did?” Elena peered at debris on the other side of the room. She sneezed. “Urgh. There’s nothing here.”

Aeris nodded as she swept her torch across the equipment. And stopped. A set of video-tapes had been jammed in between a VCR and some unfamiliar apparatus. Odd to find them here the lack of any paper and books - not caught by the gunfire. Curious; the write-protect tabs had been snapped off all of them. “Something.”

Elena bustled over to her. “Videos?” She looked exasperated. “What’s on ‘em?”

“Just the date,” Aeris replied turning one of the tapes over in her hand. “Might be something useful.”

“Maybe,” Elena sighed. “At least we found something. Does this mean we need to look again tomorrow?”

“Sadly. Easier to see in the light I suppose.” She hefted the tapes. A new thought. She pushed the flap of the VCR open and swore. “There’s a tape still inside.”

“Want to tear it apart?”

“And risk damaging the tape?” Aeris shook her head. “We better take the whole thing.”

Easier said than done. The VCR’s power cable and data cables disappeared into the surface it sat on and required a long time shifting furniture and removing panelling. Might have been easier to cut the cables – but impossible to say if they could be easily replaced. They removed the VCR and retreated to separate rooms at the Inn. For some reason sleep seemed determined to evade Aeris that night; her thoughts kept drifting back to that half-lab, half-home. Back to those bullet holes and what they implied about the past. To the lack of voices on the edge of hearing.


	14. Mako Infusion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Written for the prompt 'Childhood' - a precursor to [Aeris Gast](https://archiveofourown.org/works/10591056)

Pain. Aeris clenched her fists tighter, fingernails cutting deeper. Eyes tight closed since the infusion began, Mako flooding into her blood through the burning needle. New agonies arrived in waves, but despite the searing torture, she remained silent. Hojo always inflicted more pain if he heard her; she grit her teeth.

Something like a year had passed since Mom asked Aeris to wait for her and vanished from the Shinra building. Hojo demanded any hint about her whereabouts every day for two months; no matter how Aeris answered he never believed her. But despite Mom's continued absence, Aeris never stopped waiting or hoping. Something at least to distract from the present-

“It helps to focus on your breathing,” said an unfamiliar voice.

Aeris opened one eye, her vision blurry with tears and she blinked rapidly. The older boy with silver hair. The staff seemed careful to keep them apart, but she glimpsed him when not hurried out of rooms in time. He lingered by the door, watching her. “Breathing?” she managed, her throat tight.

The boy approached. “Don’t try to fight it. Just focus on breathing.” He stopped beside her. Unwilling to try, the pain always pushed her to her limits. No better and no worse than any previous experience, but again almost beyond her tolerance. Almost. The infusions occurred once a month and took agonizing hours to complete. The pain would fade fast enough after, but still an eternity to endure.

“Can’t.”

“You can,” he said firmly. “I didn’t want to at first either but-“ He pushed one of his sleeves up revealing a succession of familiar scars marring his forearm. “I promise it won’t be as bad.” Aeris closed her eyes, tensed up and exhaled. The pain surged worse than before and threatened to overwhelmed her. She moaned involuntarily, clamping her teeth together to stop any further sound escaping. “Breathe!” The boy demanded. Aeris took in a shuddering breath and let it out in a sobbing rush. “Okay, try again, but hold it for a count of three. Ready?” Torn between nodding and shaking her head; a new pulse of pain sent her head back hard against the padding beneath her.

“Ready,” she managed in a gasp.

“Breathe in.” Aeris sucked in a breath. “Hold.” Lungs already to burst. “Release.” The held breath came out as a splutter again. “And again.” He kept repeating the same instructions over and over; she followed the pattern, keeping her inhalations and exhalations in time with his words. Each step became easier with repetition and - remarkably - the pain faded. She chanced opening her eyes, her vision still bleary. “In, hold, out,” the boy said.

Her body relaxed, tension dissolving from her back and limbs. “Thank you,” she managed between breaths. The short pause in the rhythm sparked an uptick in pain; a few steady breaths and the pain became bearable again.

“You looked like you needed it.” He smiled and she smiled back. “You’re Aeris, right?”

“Right.” She nodded, keeping her speech short. “What's your name?” He said something complicated in reply. Frowning, Aeris tried to sound it out. “Sephy-“ He repeated it. “Sephy Roth?”

“More or less,” he said, a little uncomfortable for some reason. His gaze flicked to the drip-feed by her side and he took a step backwards. “Not much longer. I should go. Just remember what I told you for next time.”

“I will.” Aeris bit her lip. “Hey, Sephy? Want to be friends?”

“Friends?” Sephy frowned.

“Yeah. You’re the only other kid around, and we both have this…” She pointed at the Mako infusion; Sephy’s expression fell. Had she said something wrong?

“This should be a one time thing. I'm not supposed to talk to you,” he muttered and Aeris's heart sank. He glanced to the door and sighed. "But maybe. If we keep it secret."

“I can do that. I promise." Giddy at the prospect. "Glad you did talk to me too.” The comment made him smile again. “Do, do you know why they're doing this?”

“Not really.” Sephy shook his head.

“Me either. None of the adults will tell me.” Words familiar through repetition, fragments of off-hand comments but without context; SOLDIER the most common. But why did the lack of a control subject seem to concern so many of the staff here, but never Hojo?

Sephy glanced back towards the door again. “I’d better go. I mean, I'm supposed to be training right now.”

“Training?” Something in her future perhaps? Maybe when she got older?

“Yeah. Fighting; swords and stuff.”

“Is it fun?”

He shrugged. “I suppose. Better than this or studying. Gotta go though.” Sephy wandered away.

“Sephy? Could you come visit next time? Please?”

“I’ll... I'll try.”

She smiled at him again, and with a last smile back, Sephy ducked out of the room. Aeris settled back against the gurney. To her surprise, the pain already well on the way to fading completely. Tempting to pull the needle out and follow Sephy to his training but she had left it too long. Plus who knew what trouble might result. Next time maybe? If neither got caught.

Aeris lay back, continuing to breathe to Sephy's rhythm. She let her eyes close and waited for the infusion to end.


End file.
